I Tried Firstleaf's Wine Club, and I'm Only Ordering Wine From Now On

Originally published on realsimple.com

I was not prepared for how much I enjoy the ease of wine delivery. Picking up wine at a store may not seem like a big deal to everyone, but when you live in a big city, it's not fun to carry a bag of clanging wine bottles down the street. To avoid yet another awkward trip home, I decided to try a box from Firstleaf, a wine club and subscription service that delivers high-quality wine from around the world right to your home. Each box arrives with six bottles tailored to your preferred palate. Because this wine club puts an emphasis on personalization, you rate your wines after each delivery to ensure every order is better than the last.

In my Firstleaf box, I received three white wines and three red wines from regions of Australia, Italy, California, and France. The types of wine varied between cabernet sauvignon, pinot blanc, riesling, a Tuscan red blend, pinot grigio, and grenache. Scroll down for my honest review of the club.

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Overall Rating for Firstleaf: 9.7 out of 10

Pros:

Secure and recyclable packing materials
Varied flavors and types of wine
Bottles from renowned international regions
Wines are curated to fit your taste palate
Reasonable pricing for high-quality wines
Sustainable practices involved with production and transport

Cons:

Does not ship to Utah, Mississippi, or Rhode Island due to state regulations

Signing Up for Firstleaf

To join the Firstleaf wine club, you begin with a short quiz designed to assess what kinds of wine you'll like. Whether you're a fan of sweet white wines or deep red wines, these questions will guide you toward your ideal bottle selections. Indicate if you'd prefer an all red, all white, or mixed box of wines, then decide the level of sweetness you're comfortable with. The quiz also gathers what flavor profiles you're drawn to with a series of options that you can thumbs up or thumbs down. Finally, you're asked how much wine you drink in a month (you're not at the doctor's office, so be as honest as you like). The rest of the signup process is fairly straightforward—you'll get recommendations for your first six bottles, which will be shipped right to you. You also have the option of swapping out bottles from Firstleaf's extensive inventory.

Once your wine is delivered, it's up to you to rate each one and decide if you'd like to see it in your box again. The more wine you drink and rate, the better Firstleaf's recommendations will get. The company's matching method is so effective, it can predict your next favorite wine with 98 percent accuracy after only three wine ratings. Honestly, I'm considering handing my love life over to them for better results.

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Firstleaf Delivery and Packaging

Firstleaf ships everywhere in the U.S. except for Utah, Mississippi, and Rhode Island due to state regulations. First orders typically arrive a couple days after they're placed. When I opened my box, it was extremely secure with thick cardboard dividers, almost like an egg carton, nesting each bottle to avoid breakage. The packaging was also easy to disassemble and recycle. Deliveries occur once a month and don't require any refrigeration, although I'd recommend placing white wines in the fridge an hour before consumption for a better tasting experience.

Firstleaf Wine Flavors and Quality

After hearing that the Firstleaf team samples over 10,000 wines annually, I was not worried about the quality of wine I was getting. Among the six bottles I received, the flavor profiles were rich and decadent with some light citrusy notes and deeper spiced fruit varieties. Though I usually prefer red wine, I thoroughly enjoyed all the selections Firstleaf sent me. These were the bottles in my box:

While each box is meant to last about a month, my bottles disappeared over the course of two weeks—shared at wine nights, reality show watch parties, and dinners with friends. The Fogbreak pinot blanc was a hit with its light and crisp flavor. It paired well with a cheese plate of brie, crackers, and fruit for added freshness. My favorite bottle was the Perfect No. 6 cabernet sauvignon, which had a warm flavor profile of spices and dark fruits like blackberry and plum. I love red wine, but there's something about a hint of spice that just takes it to the next level. I paired this with a pasta dinner that was *chef's kiss*. The Trailstone riesling, a sweeter white with floral notes, was not one I expected to like, but it brought my thai leftovers back to life with a wonderful balance of flavors. If you haven't tried a wine subscription before, you should let Firstleaf take the wheel. Going off these wines alone, I'd say you're in very good hands.

Firstleaf Pricing

Based on retail pricing, my box should have cost $140, but because Firstleaf works directly with vineyards across the world (cutting out importers, distributors, and retailers), it's able to sell premium wines for a fraction of the cost. When you become a Firstleaf club member, you can get your monthly shipment of six bottles for $80 ($13 per bottle), plus $10 shipping. And for first-time orders, the price drops to $40 for six bottles ($6 per bottle) with free shipping—more than 50 percent off! If you ever find yourself running out of wine, you also have the option to double up future orders to 12-bottle shipments (two of each bottle) for $160 plus tax. Firstleaf is having a 48 hour flash sale from December 13 to the 14. Use the code HOLIDAYWINE21 to get your first box for $24.95.

Firstleaf Sustainability and Sourcing

Firstleaf works with vineyards and farms around the globe, sourcing the best possible wines for its customers. A Firstleaf representative noted that the company sources wines based on quality and cost. Suppliers are not required to farm sustainably, but, according to the rep, Firstleaf has been asking winemaking partners for more information about their sustainability practices, such as whether the wine is biodynamic or vegan-friendly, so that it can be represented on bottle labels. Each wine undergoes rigorous testing to ensure quality, which explains why they taste so good. When wine is sampled by the Firstleaf team, it's also analyzed using technology to assess subtle flavors to help curate the company's premium inventory.

In regards to sustainability, Firstleaf uses minimal packaging, which is easily recyclable, reduces waste, and properly secures the wine for shipment. Further sustainable efforts include carbon neutral shipping, cellaring wine near its final destination (to reduce energy waste on transport), and using naturally renewable corks in each bottle.

Firstleaf Customer Service and Reviews

If there's one thing Firstleaf customers love more than the wine, it's the customer service team. Out of more than 300 reviews on Trustpilot, Firstleaf has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. One customer, who had to cancel an order due to travel, wrote, "I dealt with three representatives, and they were some of the best customer service professionals I have spoken to."

Others have described the team as "wonderful," "fantastic," and "great." Several folks said pausing or cancelling their subscription was "seamless." Between the virtual concierge to help with orders and the fast response time, it's obvious that Firstleaf cares about its customers. Another perk Firstleaf customers love is the virtual ″wine school,″ an online database with articles about the wine industry, specific blends, and other interesting tidbits.

Of course, we can't forget about the wine. One reviewer wrote, "Excellent wine club. The wines are good quality and all of them [are] selected based on my personal preferences (citrusy, oaky, not too sweet)."

Another customer added, "As many others here, I have enjoyed almost every wine I was sent so far and do not remember major disappointments." The reviewer also mentioned how the club offers a "wide variety of styles, regions, and tastes that are rarely found in mainstream stores." Their only suggestion: "Adding some Southeastern Europe varieties would be a wonderful breath of fresh air."

Firstleaf: My Take

Though my experience was limited, having only tried one box, I was extremely satisfied with this wine club. My biggest takeaway is that Firstleafdoes an incredible job of putting the customer first. It's clear that this wine subscription is completely catered to the customer, from finding the best possible grapes worldwide to letting club members rate wines for consistent feedback and growth. The packaging was minimal, eco-friendly, and effective. The bottles were a standard size, so depending on how generously you pour, each can fill five or six glasses. The wines tasted amazing, gave a glimpse into different wine regions around the world, and made for some really fun wine nights. Essentially, this wine club is ideal for people who want high-quality wine delivered conveniently at affordable prices.

After considering factors like taste, price, variety, and customer service, I gave Firstleaf a weighted score of 9.7 out of 10.

Sign up now: From $90/shipment